


Three Little Words

by Darksilvercat



Series: Darksilvercat's Ficlets [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Unrepentant Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-16
Updated: 2012-08-16
Packaged: 2017-11-12 14:24:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/492161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darksilvercat/pseuds/Darksilvercat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the ‘It’s okay to say “I love you”’ fest. The first time Dean tells Castiel that he loves him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Little Words

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted as a comment!fic on LiveJournal.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Dean asks when Castiel returns from his beer run with not only the beer but a couple of cheeseburgers in hand. He's gotten so used to having Castiel around and treating him like one of the team that he doesn't even realise what he's said.

Castiel, on the other hand, goes utterly still, reverting to stoic angel mode so fast that Dean gets whiplash just watching him.

"You've never told me you love me," Castiel informs him.

Dean is all set to brush it off, to explain away the sentiment as friendly, a joke, a pop culture reference, but then he meets Castiel's eyes - those impossibly blue eyes that see straight through him and yet never judge, filled with trust and loyalty and patience - and he can't do it. He can't do it, because it's _true_ ; Dean loves Castiel.

So he steps in close to Cas and plants a hand firmly on Cas' shoulder to keep him from flitting away.

"Cas?"

Castiel doesn't speak. He looks almost like he _can't_ speak, like he's all too aware of the fact that if he opens his mouth he'll be breathing Dean's air, which is ridiculous because he's always getting into Dean's space. But this is the first time that Dean has gotten into _his_ space.

"Cas," Dean says again, slow, deliberate, and Cas is staring at him as though he already knows what Dean is going to say but thinks he's misjudging the situation because Dean would _never_ say-

"I love you."

Castiel vanishes.

Dean closes his eyes and lets out a sigh, already kicking himself as he goes to pull out his cell phone.

Castiel reappears before he can dial. He reappears even closer to Dean than he was when he left, places his hands on Dean's chest and pushes. Dean staggers back until he hits the wall and Castiel crowds in close, as close as he was when he broke Dean out of the angels' waiting room all that time ago. He hadn’t said it then, but Dean is pretty sure that was when they both realised how they felt. Or rather, when Cas had realised and Dean had subconsciously realised, because he's only just realising that he realised right now, and Cas had better say or do something pretty damn soon, because Dean's head is spinning into places unplanned.

"You may not have realised this, Dean, but I’m in love with you," he says. "So I’d appreciate it if you don't joke about having feelings for me."

Dean is stunned. This is not quite how he expected his grand declaration to turn out. Not that he'd ever planned it - or thought about it at all for that matter - but he's pretty sure these situations are supposed to end with making out, not being pinned against a wall and accused of toying with your loved one's feelings.

"I'm not joking," he says grumpily, struggling futilely to break Cas' grip on his jacket. "I love you, Cas, I'm serious." 

Castiel hesitates.

"I love you," Dean repeats for good measure.

Cas looks like he can't decide if he wants to disappear, punch Dean, or kiss him. Dean stops struggling completely, releasing his grip on Castiel's wrists, and Castiel goes for the third option.

As first kisses go, it's nothing special. In fact it's kinda awkward, because Dean is still holding the cheeseburger and it ends up utterly squished between them. Mustard and ketchup gets smeared all over their hands and shirts - and Dean’s stomach, because Cas is the handsy type apparently, pushing Dean's shirt up to get at the skin beneath. 

But that's okay, because later, Castiel will abandon the coat to the floor, along with his jacket, his shirt and tie, and everything else, and he will lick the sauce from Dean's stomach before moving on to other territory. Dean will get mustard in Cas' hair when he buries his hands in it and holds on, gently guiding Cas through this all-new experience. And the burger will remain, squashed and forgotten, on the floor, until much later, when Dean will declare it beyond saving and throw it away.

And that's okay too, because Castiel will bring him another one in the morning. It will be the first - or technically the second - of many, and every time, Dean will tell Castiel that he loves him.

It never stops being true.


End file.
